Wednesday, August 29, 2012

I'm ridiculously excited! I won a prize for one of the Anni-VERVE-sary challenges, specifically the butterfly thanks card I made for the CAS challenge. Some new Verve is on its way to me as I type and I can't wait to get that package! So cool!

I'm finally getting around to this month's SFYTT sketch challenge. (with only two days to spare - lol) Verve Stamps is the sponsor, so you get another card using their stamps! :) I've had the Up, Up and Away set for ages, but this is the first time I've actually used it. Gasp! It's the darlingest set, especially paired with Let It Shine, as I did for my card. (yes, I know that's not really a word, but it fits perfectly - so there!)

picture linked

I started with a base of Blueberry Sky cardstock and stamped it with a simple background using the matching ink. For my horizontal panels, I embossed some white cardstock with the D'vine Swirls embossing folder to give the feel of motion and clouds. I like how it looks! Then I stamped the Spring Rain panel with some small polka dots in Spring Rain ink, and stamped my sentiment over top.

I stamped and colored one of the balloon images on white cardstock, colored it very simply with Copic markers, sponged around it with both colors of blue ink, and then distressed the edges. The clouds were shaded slightly with Copics and cut out for dimension. I stamped the sun on Lemon Tart cardstock and then added some color with Copics before cutting it out as well.

So here's a little wish for sunny days for you. Remember the sun is always there behind the clouds. You just can't see it yet. :)

Saturday, August 25, 2012

It's time for the monthly Papertrey Ink blog hop! I've been on a stamping marathon lately, it seems. It's been so much fun this week! So the challenge for August is as follows:

This month's inspiration is all about autumn patterns, textures &
textiles. Think warm & cozy woolens, houndstooth, tweed, burlap,
felt, corduroy. herringbone and even argyle. You can create your own
custom patterns & textures with stamps or impression plates. Or you
can incorporate actual fabrics, felt, yarn and other textiles in a
creative way. Have fun experimenting and perhaps stepping out of your
creative box.

I stumbled across my herringbone embossing folder while making other cards this week and knew immediately that I wanted to use it for this challenge. It's perfect! Isn't that texture absolutely luscious?

I pulled out my Leaf Print stamps and dies for this project, since autumn always brings thoughts of colorful foliage. It's my favorite time of year! How could I not use them? The dies made it super easy!

I grouped the leaves together on top of the embossed chocolate layer and then added a strip that was stamped with a different pattern than the embossing. The combination reminds me of a man's dress shirt and jacket, which fits perfectly with the challenge. I added more texture by distressing the edges. So cozy! Then I just sponged my sentiment mat and added two more leaves on top to frame it. It came together pretty quickly. I spent the most time arranging the leaves. lol

Friday, August 24, 2012

Whew, got my last anni-VERVE-sary challenge done! Day two's challenge was to make an anniversary card with either wood or silver accents. This is actually my second attempt, since I couldn't get anywhere with the first one. I'm not 100% satisfied with this card either, but the challenge deadline is approaching and I seriously need a nap. I was up at 2:45 am to get ready for some TV interviews to promote the airshow tomorrow. So here is my little anniversary card in all its glory!

It's pretty straightforward. I just embossed two of the layers for texture and cut out the monkeys, stacking them on top of each other. I tried to get a decent image using my Rich Cocoa Memento inkpad so I could do some Copic coloring, but it is a little too wet and the images came out splotchy, so I gave up and used my Dark Chocolate inkpad instead. I stamped the little hearts on the monkeys to add at least some color. They still look stark to me, but I'm probably being a little too nitpicky. lol Anyone else do that? :)

Obviously, I used wood for my accent, both for the button and the branch embossing behind the monkeys. The button is tied with a bit of red DMC floss. So there you have it! I finished all five Verve challenges in just 2-1/2 days. That has to be a record for me. It was fun to get out all my Verve sets and play around! Check out the Verve store here to see their cute images. :)

Tomorrow is the monthly Papertrey Ink blog hop, so make sure to drop by to see my post in the morning. Speaking of, I'd better get back in the studio. (well, after my nap!)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Anything but a card is the challenge for day five of the Anni-VERVE-sary celebration. I know that it's a little early for Halloween, but work with me, okay? :)

This time I used Boo to You, a small Halloween set by Verve Stamps. (check out their store here) I pulled out my favor it box die and cut it out with black cardstock.
Then I simply embellished the front with some ghosts, a bit of fence,
and a cute little pumpkin. The tendrils are just tiny slivers of
cardstock that I curled slightly. I embossed the sentiment so it would
pop off the black. It turned out quite cute! :)

I'm back again with another Verve challenge card. This time it had to be a CAS, or clean and simple card. It took a little longer for inspiration to strike on this one. I finished my day five project first! I decided to stay "in order" and post this one now. lol Not that it really matters!

Yesterday, there was a post on Moxie Fab World about repetition as a design element, so that was fresh in my mind as I made this card. Check out her blog post here to read her thoughts and also check out the other cards made for the Repetition Challenge.

My use of repetition isn't necessarily innovative, but I like the
clean, graphic style of the three butterflies in a row. The embossed
horizontal lines help draw the eye across the card. I pulled out
Fluttering By for my dimensional butterflies, along with a sentiment
from Autumn Splendor. I simply stamped the butterflies directly on my
card base, and then cut out another set of stamped images to place on
top for dimension. The dotted butterfly is colored just slightly
different than the other two to change it up a bit.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Why yes, I did skip day two in case you're wondering. lol I'm not necessarily doing these in order, unless you count the order of inspiration. lol Actually, I made this card first! I had to go to high school open house with my kids tonight, so I'm going to go ahead and post this card now. Then I'll get back to my studio. :)

For this card, I used Beautiful Kindness. (check out the Verve store here to see all their designs) I love the butterflies and sentiments in this particular set. What's funny is that I used pink and green with black instead of brown - very similar to day one's color combo and completely by accident, since I made this card first. It looks very different though! It just happened as I mixed patterns from the Urban Prairie paper. The challenge for day three is a sketch as seen below.

I used my Copic markers to add graduated-style coloring to the butterfly using the patterned paper as my guide for color choice. It really pops against the white polka-dot embossed circle. I selectively inked my sentiment so I could fit it in the space left on the green mat, and also added some black scallop trim to the edge. I wasn't too sure where I was going when I started, so I'm quite pleased that the card turned out so well! :)

Verve Stamps is celebrating their fifth year in business, or as they call it, their anni-VERVE-sary, and they have five stamping challenges to make it fun. Obviously, I have decided to participate. :D I'm starting a bit late, but already have two done (woohoo!), so unless circumstances intervene, I will do all five challenges before the deadline on Friday. I have plenty of Verve sets, after all! Check out the store here to see all their great designs.

The first challenge is to use the colors pink, green, and brown along with neutrals to make a card. I pulled out my Believe set and stamped the flower on some yummy pink Basic Grey paper in all three sizes, and then cut and layered it on my card.

I used narrow strips from the same Basic Grey paper pad layered on a strip of Dark Chocolate cardstock, and then placed it on top of another Dark Chocolate layer that was embossed with polka dots. I'm just a wee bit addicted to that folder right now. :) The sentiment is stamped on a Spellbinders diecut embellished with another bit of that gorgeous flowered paper. Love the result!